December Newsletter 2009

“let the children come to me”
Chris Ward joins YFC to focus on elementary schools

I was walking the school hallways with Chris Ward, new staff member at YFC. She had just gotten a taste of YFC life with Randy Rains at the Farmington Middle School, where 60 students gather every week for SOS Bible Club. All of a sudden a class room door opened and a girl burst out, running to give Chris a big hug. “I remember you!” she said, and began rekindling memories. Chris’ 22 years of experience as a former teacher, combined with a deep desire to see kids come to a living faith in Christ, made her a great candidate for a job that focuses on starting a mentoring program and campus clubs in four area elementary schools.
Let’s take a look into her job: It’s 3.30 pm and a group of 3rd and 4th graders is ready for the Bible Club after a ‘long’ day at school. I look around me at the group of kids and together we dive into God’s Word. I couldn’t help but notice one kid who did his best to sit as close to me as possible and seemed to eat up every word I said. While the other kids did their crafts, memory verse and ate their snack, Chris redirects him my way. We talked, just the two of us, and he starts telling me how he has recently lost his dad. He had brought his Bible, and showed me passages out of the book of Job that he had underlined. We talked about how he could bring the pain in his heart to His Heavenly Father; the one who would never leave him! As we talked, his eyes became filled with hope and joy, and I felt I was able to bring some comfort his dad would have wanted to give to him.
I looked around at the other side of the room where Chris was watching us while leading a group of kids with their crafts. I could see tears of joy in her eyes. I can’t wait to see what the future will hold for her as she connects compassionate folks with hurting kids all across the Parkland area. May she hear from Christ himself :”I remember you! You did it to Me”